Agenda item

The Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) Regulations 2010 (as amended) includes a requirement for all planning obligation collecting authorities to prepare an annual Infrastructure Funding Statement (IFS) to be published on the council’s website by the end of each calendar year. For CIL charging authorities, the IFS must set out S.106 contributions together with CIL income and how each has been spent on the council’s Infrastructure List (see Background Paper 2: Arun CIL Infrastructure Charging Schedule) or held by the authority, for the monitoring year 2022/23.

The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager was invited by the Chair to present the report.  The report provided details of the income received from S106 planning obligation contributions and CIL income and spend.  He referred to the summary totals at paragraph 3.7 of the report, which showed income had doubled with the trajectory for the delivery of projects from CIL income improving year on year.     

The Chair commented that it was good to hear that S106 and CIL income was increasing.  The Chair then invited questions and comments from members. 

A member was advised by the Group Head of Planning that any suggestions relating to specific projects concerning parks and spaces within the member’s Ward  could be directed to him, outside of the meeting.

The amount of CIL received to support secondary education and how much West Sussex County Council (WSCC) had received to date was asked.  The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager advised that the funding was mainly received from Section 106 contributions and the strategic allocations.  However, there were other CIL liable developments that also had an impact and could contribute towards the same infrastructure.  WSCC received 70% of CIL contributions and set out as part of their investment priorities details of the projects they intended to fund through CIL.  He referred to a member’s question to officers asked outside of the meeting where a response was still outstanding and explained that the Council’s Section 106 Officer was waiting to receive the requested information from WSCC.  However, was able to advise that he Council had received £900,000 with potentially another £4 million anticipated through agreements. The Group Head of Planning clarified that contributions towards secondary school transportation were not classed as infrastructure and therefore not delivered through CIL.  The delivery of the secondary school was  an infrastructure matter to be delivered from Section 106 strategic allocations as well as through CIL monies received by WSCC.  The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager undertook to provide the Committee with a copy of the WSCC Spending Statement when available.

The Chair welcomed a suggestion that officers should monitor instances when affordable housing development had been lost and asked for this information to be reported to a future meeting of the Committee.  The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager advised he would include details of these lost schemes in the Authority Monitoring report.  

Responding to a question concerning Community Land Trusts (CLT), the Group Head of Planning advised that he was aware of a local CLT struggling to get off the ground due to viability issues.  However, officers could investigate any opportunities to see if it was appropriate for a CLT to take over the development of land from developers where there were viability issues.  The Chair suggested that the situation should be monitored and, if necessary, a letter could be sent to the Government to express the Committee’s concern about any viability issues.

A member queried the contribution of £5,000 towards transport and travel, at paragraph 7.4 of the Infrastructure Funding Statement, which he considered was a small amount and the lack of projects coming forward from parish councils.  The Planning Policy and Conservation Manager undertook to provide an answer to confirm if this amount included cycling, walking and mobility allocations, as well as any reasons for this this seemingly small amount, outside of the meeting.

The recommendations were then proposed by Councillor Lury and seconded by Councillor Yeates.

The Committee

                     RESOLVED

that the Arun Infrastructure Funding Statement 2022/23 be published on the Arun District Council website in accordance with Regulation 121A of the Community Infrastructure Regulations 2010 (as amended).